


Yes, And

by jell_0_shot



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 06:12:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16279286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jell_0_shot/pseuds/jell_0_shot
Summary: Ben sees Leslie performing improv and then basically falls in love with her on the spot, because, who wouldn't?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had a lot of time on my hands recently - couple that with post-DCM feels and well, this it the result. It's set in 2005... I don't know why. But it is. And I kind of made Mark a billion times worse than he is in canon, but whatever. I don't know. I hope you enjoy!

Ben was really trying.

He was on a date. Her name was Claire and she was pretty, with freckles falling down her shoulders and deep red lips. Chris has met her at a yoga class and then insisted that she was Ben’s soulmate. Ben had called her, mostly because he knew if he didn’t, Chris would have done it for him. She’d sounded sweet on the phone. Plus, it was almost Christmas break, so if it went badly, he wouldn’t have to see her again for at least a month. 

Which is why he was currently sitting in a small, dark room, rows of unmatched chairs crowded in. Improv wasn’t really his thing, he didn’t think, but she’d suggested it and he didn’t really care enough to change the plans. 

The date had been going okay so far. He couldn’t help but notice that there was a polite edge to their conversations, though. 

The bright stage lights dimmed, causing the audience’s chatter to cease, before loud hype music started to play. Ben caught Claire’s eye and smiled. She smiled back at him, but it was almost painful how much they were both aware that there was no spark. This place felt far too intimate for the two of them.

A tall guy with messy brown hair ran out from behind a curtain, and the audience cheered and clapped as he punched the air. 

“Good evening, everyone.” The audience cheered again. “I hope you’re having a great night so far! We’ve got a great line-up for you, so please help me welcome -” He hesitated, then raised his voice to an almost-shout, “Donna, Tom, Leslie, Joan, Perd and Wendy!” 

Six more people ran out from behind the curtain to more cheering. Ben clapped along, watching as each of them found a spot on the back wall to lean against. Most of them were dressed casually, Chuck Taylors and loose shirts. 

“I’m Mark, and we are Soup Roulette!” More cheering. God, there was so much cheering. 

Mark worked the crowd, making a few jokes here and there, bantering with drunk people in the audience. He explained the show – they'd take a word suggestion from the audience, and then create completely improvised scenes off a monologue that was based on that word. 

“And now Leslie will announce tonight’s guest monologist.” Mark stepped back, and Ben saw him roll his eyes. It was subtle, but he did it.

The girl who stepped forward was blonde and her soft curls bounced as she pushed off the back wall and walked in front of Mark. She was grinning, and her hands were resting in the back pockets of her jeans. She seemed so comfortable on that stage. She was also unbelievably beautiful. 

Ben shifted in his seat, suddenly very aware that Claire was right next to him, worried that she could read his thoughts.

“Hi everyone!” Leslie spoke, “I’m Leslie. Our guest monologist tonight is the one and only, nursing student extraordinaire, Ann Perkins! Voted ‘Most Beautiful’ in her high school superlatives, probably, and my best friend in the whole entire world – nay, universe! Please give her a warm welcome!” 

Leslie twisted her body towards the curtain at the back, her hands clapping together excitedly as Ann walked through. The two friends hugged and then turned back towards the audience. Leslie was beaming. Ben was pretty sure he’d just fallen in love. 

“Can we get a word from the audience?” 

A bunch of words were yelled out, none of which Ben caught, but Leslie seemed to have gotten a few. She turned to Ann, “I heard ‘parks’ and ‘carnivore’.”

“I’ll go with parks.” 

Leslie stepped back to her spot on the back wall and folded her arms over her chest. Ann started speaking, walking back and forth across the small stage, making the audience laugh enough. Ben barely heard a word she was saying – he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Leslie. He watched her watch Ann, her face full of love and adoration. When she laughed, her nose scrunched and you could hear it, even over everyone else's. She had the kind of laugh that made you want to do anything to hear it again.

Ann finished her monologue on a high note, the room erupting with laughter. She smiled out at the audience and took a dramatic bow, before heading over to a seat that was next to where Leslie was standing. Ben watched as Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand as she sat down. 

And then it started. Ben wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been expecting, but this was not it. The group on the stage were weaving amongst themselves and creating scenes with their bare hands. He couldn’t believe how witty they were, coming up with jokes on the spot. Over and over. His head was spinning. Leslie was fearless on stage – striding forward to start a scene with such confidence, and vigor, that there was no way she could fail. She made him laugh. 

He forgot he was on a date. 

Claire adjusted her legs, causing them to brush against his. He looked at her quickly, embarrassed that he’d forgotten she was here. She was smiling and laughing too, enjoying herself, but Ben knew that it had nothing to do with him. They could so easily just be two strangers, sitting next to each other in a comedy show. 

He looked back at the stage. Leslie was standing at the back, eagerly watching her teammates play out a scene about raccoons and baseball bats. She seemed to enjoy watching her friends perform as much as she enjoyed performing herself. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and chewed her lip, laughing along with the audience. He could see her brain ticking, and eventually she jumped in with a one-liner that had the whole audience in tears. 

“And that’s our show! Thanks for coming!” Mark yelled. 

Mark, Leslie and the others waved and disappeared back behind the curtain as the audience started to file out. There was an interesting buzz in the air, in the chatter. Everyone felt a little bit more alive than when they entered. Ben felt that, too. 

“Did you like it?” He asked Claire when they reached the lobby.

“Yeah. I’ve seen better though.”

Ben prickled at that – offended, even though he had no right to be. He suddenly realised that he’d left his jacket back in the theatre. He told Claire he’d be right back, and snuck in the door they’d just left through. The troupe were all back on the stage, this time sat around in a casual circle. Except for Leslie, who was standing in front of them all.

“Our edits were a little bit weaker than last week, which is a bummer. But hey, Donna, that was a really great call-back you did about the slip-n-slides!”

Ben spotted his jacket on the back of the seat he was sitting on. He slid down the aisle of chairs and grabbed it, trying to be as quiet as he could. He took one last quick look at Leslie before he left. 

Apparently, he liked improv now.


	2. Chapter 2

"How were your holidays?"

Ben and Chris were walking across campus together, heading to their economics class. There was a bite in the air, and Ben curled his hands up into a ball in his pockets in an attempt to warm them up.

"Oh, you know, the usual. A disaster."

Chris looked at him, "Oh no, I am very sorry to hear that."

"It's okay, it's just what happens when my mother and father are put in the same room as each other. How were yours?"

"They were really great." Chris smiled at him kind of apologetically, leaving it at that.

They turned a corner and arrived at the lecture hall where their class was being held. People had already started to file in, so they joined the throng of students and found a couple of free seats that seemed to be chewing-gum-free. Ben started to pile his notebooks on the desk, searching for a pen in his backpack.

"Oh, hey, how was your date with Claire? I completely forgot to ask you about it before Christmas!"

Ben tried not to grimace, “Oh yeah, no, not great. I don’t think she’ll want to see me again.” 

Chris tried to ask him why, but their lecturer arrived and started addressing the room, going through the usual introductions. Ben followed along with his textbook, trying not to think about his memories from that night.

 

* * *

 

Ben was sitting at the back of his politics class, wondering how he could already be so tired when it was only their first day back. He sighed, scribbling his notes at a fast pace, trying to keep up. He checked his watch – they were only halfway through.  

Suddenly, the door behind him swung open and a blonde blur fell into the room. The professor stopped, and the entire lecture theatre turned to look at her. She let out a, “Sorry!”, breathy, and fell into the chair next to him. Ben quickly turned back to the front, and he couldn’t help but notice the heat that grew in his neck and cheeks.  

Leslie – improv Leslie – was sitting right next to him. 

He had no idea she went here or was in this class. But she must do, because she was piling folders and binders and notebooks onto the small table at her seat. She was wearing jeans and a grey blazer – out of the corner of his eye, the fabric looked soft and he wanted to reach out and touch it. He could have, because she was literally right next to him. Obviously, he didn’t.  

She turned her head towards him slightly as she opened her notebook and brought her pen to the page, and he caught her eye. She smiled at him, but it was quick, and then she turned back to the lecturer. Ben spent the rest of the lesson forcing himself to focus on his notes.  

“Hey.” 

The class was wrapping up and there was a lot of commotion as students shoved their books into their bags and made their way to the large doors at the back of the room. Leslie had squared her shoulders, facing Ben. For a second, he wondered if she knew someone behind him, but her eyes were set on him and there was a sweet smile on her lips that softened her entire face. 

“Oh, hey.” Ben cleared his throat. She was talking to him. Why was she talking to  _him_? 

“I’m normally never late, but I had an Ann-emergency this morning, and, well – do you think I could copy your notes?” She held out her hand, “I’m Leslie, by the way.” 

Ben took her hand, shook it, noticed how the contact sparked something inside of his chest. He wondered if he should know what an Ann-emergency was. “Yeah, I know. I’m Ben.” 

He winced. Leslie scrunched her nose in confusion, “Wait, how do you know me?” 

“I saw your improv troupe last year. I promise I’m not stalking you.” Ben laughed, shakily. Leslie cocked her head to the side, still smiling. She seemed amused. “And sure, you can just take my notes, if you want.” 

He ripped the page out of his notebook and started to give it to her, then frowned. “Actually, I... uh... I’ll still need these.” What was he doing? 

Leslie laughed, definitely amused now. “Are you hungry?” 

“Huh?” 

“I’ll buy you lunch in return for your notes. I’ll copy them into my notebook so you can keep the original. Win-win.” She started packing up her things, as if he’d already agreed to the deal. 

“Okay, yeah sure. Sounds fun.” Ben gathered his things too, as students for the next lecture in this room started to file in.  

They walked to a small café just off-campus together, talking politely about their politics class and what they’re majoring in. Ben didn’t even care that he was missing a philosophy class. He watched the way her eyes ran across his paper, the way she scrunched her noise whenever she was trying to decipher his scribbles, how the whipped cream from her hot chocolate clung to her lip. She licked it away, absentmindedly, and Ben smiled down at his fries. 

“So, you saw Soup Roulette perform?” She asked, not looking up from her work. 

Ben nodded, “Yeah, I did. You were really good.” 

“Thanks.” She smiled. 

“No, I really mean that. You were... incredible. It’s all I could think about afterwards.” 

This stopped her. She looked up at him and he hoped she could see the sincerity in his eyes. She was beaming, and it made him want to beam back. Maybe he did. 

“Well, thanks, Ben. That means a lot.” 

She returned to her work and they sat in silence for a while. Ben is surprised to find that the silence isn’t uneasy, despite the fact that they just met. He got the feeling Leslie could make any situation comfortable. She was the kind of person you wanted to be around, even if you were doing absolutely nothing.  

Eventually, she finished copying his notes. Ben’s heart sank, thinking that meant their lunch was over and he’d probably never talk to her again. But she packed her books away, handed him back his notes and leaned forward, eyes set on him. 

“Alright, Ben. Tell me about yourself.” 

“Oh, well, what do you want to know?” 

“Where are you from?” 

“Minnesota.” Ben ate another fry. 

“Why’d you choose IU?” 

“They offered me a partial scholarship and, uh, it meant I got to move far away from my parents.” 

He saw her eyes narrow, briefly, but she decided not to press it.  

“What do you want to do after college?” 

Ben paused. Honestly, he wasn’t really sure. An accountant, sure, and that’s what he told everyone. It was the safe answer. But for some reason, he didn’t want Leslie to know he had a safe answer. 

“I, uh... I want to be a politician, honestly.” 

Leslie’s eyes lit up, “Me too!”  

“Oh, really? That’s awesome. I kind of assumed you would want to pursue comedy, since you’re so good at it.” It was starting to get a little embarrassing the amount of times he’d said that in the past hour. 

“I love improv, I really do, but it’s not what I want to do as a career.” 

“How come?” 

Leslie looked at him, assessed him, almost. “It’s like this -” She took a sip of her hot chocolate, licking the cream off her lip again before she continued, “I plan and organise every single part of my life. I can do that, I’m good at that, but improv gives me this one small chance to just let go and accept that I can’t make a binder about it. Well, actually, I can, and I have, but for the most part, you can’t plan it. And that’s nice for now, but I want to make an impact in a different way, long-term. I want to be the President, someday.” 

Ben had never heard someone say they wanted to be the President before, and he always imagined they‘d seem kind of silly if he did. But Leslie did not seem silly, not in the slightest. He was basically ready to start making campaign buttons for her, right then and there. 

“That makes sense.” He smiled at her, hoping she knew he meant all of it – the her being President part, too. That made sense. 

Her phone buzzed, and she read the message as she finished off her hot chocolate. “Oh, it’s Ann. She needs me again.” She stood up, so did he, and she held out her hand for him to shake again. “It was really nice meeting you, Ben. And thanks for your notes.” 

He grabbed her hand, but they didn’t really shake. Just held onto each other briefly, a small linger as they smiled at each other, before their arms fell to their sides. “Any time. See you.”

Ben watched her weave her way out of the café, stopping to wave at him one last time before she disappeared into the crowds on the street. He sat back down, needing a moment to process the past hour. Ben hadn’t felt that warm heat of a crush in his chest since Cindy, and that was two years ago.  

Apparently, he liked improv  _and_  Politics 201, now.


	3. Chapter 3

Ben didn't see Leslie again until their next politics lecture at the end of the week. She was sitting at the front of the class, writing frantically in a notebook before the lesson had even started. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, loose strands falling down the nape of her neck. He spent the whole lesson watching her, barely managing to write down the notes, ignoring the small voice in his head telling him that he was being a creep. At the end of the lecture, he took a little longer putting his things away - trying to pretend it wasn't because Leslie might walk past him. (It was).

"Hey, Ben."

Her voice was soft and he looked up quickly. She gave him a small wave as she passed. He said his hello back, over his shoulder, hoping she heard it.

She did, because she threw him a sweet smile before she walked out of the door.

This continued to happen for the next two weeks. They never sat together, although Ben desperately wanted to, but he was also aware that they weren't exactly friends. They were had-lunch-together-once friends. Even so, he would take his time packing away his notebooks every day, and she would say hello, sweetly, on her way out. He watched her in class; relished in the moments when she raised her hand and debated the professor, ignored the increasing feeling that he was going to fail this class. It'd be worth it, probably.

It was a Saturday night when he realises that yes, Leslie was incredible, but perhaps it wasn't worth failing a class over a girl you haven't even worked up the courage to say more than 'hey' to for the past fortnight.

He was sitting in the common area of his dorm building, desperately trying to ignore the loud commotions going on around him.  He couldn't be too mad - it _was_ a Saturday night and everyone was getting ready to go out partying. He was just biting into the burger he'd ordered for himself when he heard his name. 

"Ben!"

He looked up and saw Leslie making her way towards him. She looked breathless and beautiful, her cheeks flushed from being outside. She placed a large basket on the small table he was sitting at and lent against the seat opposite him, smiling widely.

"Hey, Leslie." God, he looked awful. He was wearing his sweater that had a hole in the shoulder and his hair was a mess. He ran a hand through it but the attempt was futile. 

"What are you doing here?" She pulled out the seat and sat down, her knees knocking his.

Ben looked down at his politics notes spread out in front of him. "Oh, just studying."

"Wow, are your Saturday nights always this wild?" She teased. 

"Ha ha. No, I just realised I was a little behind on our politics assignment."

Leslie looked around the room, taking in all of the laughing and yelling. "And this is where you chose to work on it?"

"Yeah, my roommate has a sock on the door." He shrugged, "He and his girlfriend are still in the honeymoon phase." 

"Oh, lucky them." 

"Yeah." Ben laughed, "But anyway, I've gotten pretty used to tuning it all out." He motioned around the room with the pencil in his hand.

"Well, you know, if you ever want a quiet place to study, you can come to my dorm. We could even study together."

Ben had noticed over the past few weeks that Leslie always seemed to be in control. She planned everything so much - he'd seen her diary when they'd had lunch - that she was never not in charge of whatever was going on in her life. He'd put money on the fact that she'd already finished this essay he was struggling to get through. But as those words fell from her mouth, he was sure he heard some uncertainty. Like she was putting herself out there with no way to plan or know what he'd say.

"Yeah, that would be really great."

They smiled at each other, a little longer than was maybe necessary. It sure felt necessary to Ben.

"Anyway, I should probably go. It's my friend Tom's birthday, he lives in this building too."

"Ah, that explains the basket of fresh linen, I guess?" Ben asked, leaning back in his chair and raising his eyebrows in an amused question.

Leslie stood up and grabbed the basket. "Yeah, this is all for him. He has expensive taste." She laughed and started to leave, but stopped herself. "Hey, I have a show next week. You should come."

This time she sounded far more certain of herself.

"I'll be there."

 

* * *

 

The next Friday, Leslie stopped by Ben's spot at the back of class on her way in and handed him a few tickets.

"I thought you'd probably want to bring some friends."

He smiled up at her, "Thanks, Leslie."

She found her way to the front and he slid the three tickets through his fingers. The thought of asking Chris and whatever girl he was dating at the moment to come with him made him want to audibly groan. Chris could be really intense, and his dates always fawned over him a sickening amount. He decided he'd ask his roommate and his girlfriend instead.

When he pitched it to Andy, he tried to sound nonchalant and casual (which didn't exactly come naturally to Ben). They didn't really 'hang out' together.

"Yeah, it's just this comedy thing, I don't know. I managed to get free tickets."

"Oh, dude, it's free? Yeah, we'll come." Andy was sitting on his bed. His girlfriend, April, had her legs over his, reading a book. "Sounds fun, right babe?"

"Sure." She said, barely raising her eyes from the book.

Ben found April a little unsettling. He was pretty sure she didn't like him, and she didn't talk to him all that much. But she made Andy happy, and he her, and that was kind of sweet.

"Cool. It starts at 8."

They ended up walking there, because Andy didn't want to split a cab and it was only about a half hour away anyway. It was cold outside, and they could see their breaths mingling with the air. Andy was telling Ben all about his women's studies class, with April interjecting every other sentence to correct him. Ben let their chatter fill the air, nodding along when appropriate, struggling to focus on much else but the thought of getting to see Leslie on stage again tonight.

The show started much the same as last time, except Donna was the one introducing everyone and the monologist was a very boisterous guy call Jean-Ralphio. Ben had caught Leslie's eye during the first monologue, and she'd waved at him quickly, a smile playing on her lips. Ben couldn't help but grin and wave back.

"Do you know her?" Andy whispered, catching the exchange.

"Oh yeah, we're friends." Ben whispered back.

"Nice job." He raised his eyebrows at Ben and gave him a double thumbs up, so Ben shushed him.

The next hour went past as a rush of laughter and adrenaline. This might just be Ben's favourite place on earth - right here, in this small, dusty theatre with Leslie, bright and bouncy and brilliant, filling up the stage in front of him. He liked the way she darted into the middle of the stage when she thought of something funny, the way her gaze travelled over her teammates as she lent against the back wall, the way her eyes quietly sparkled when she got a big laugh.

At the end of the show, while the audience exploded into applause, Leslie squinted into the crowd and smiled at Ben.

"You guys want to go backstage and meet Leslie?" Ben turned to April and Andy.

"Sure, we'll meet your wife."

"She's not my wife."

"Yes, she is. She's your wife."

"No, she's -" Ben realised April was kidding, or maybe she wasn't. Either way, it was easier to move on. "So anyway, do you want to come backstage?"

They did, so the three of them made their way across the stage, through the curtain and into a small green room. The members of Soup Roulette were scattered around, sipping beer and talking excitedly. They were obviously still on a high from performing. 

"Ben!" Leslie looked a little surprised to see him and Ben suddenly worried that it wasn't okay for them to be back here. But she ran up to them and embraced him tightly, so he figured it must be fine. She'd had a couple of beers over the course of the night, it seemed. She pulled back and beamed up at him. Ben wanted to grab hold of this exact moment and replay it for the rest of his life.

"You were amazing, Leslie!"

"Thanks." She breathed.

"Oh, this is Andy and April. Andy, April, this is Leslie Knope."

She hugged them too, and the four of them started chatting. Andy told Leslie that he didn't totally understand what had been happening but he was sure she'd done a really good job. April asked Leslie if she was a witch, but Ben noticed that it was in a sort of soft, affectionate way. Ben was in the middle of talking about his favourite bits from the show when a tall, floppy-haired guy he remembered as Mark found his way over to their group. He snaked his arms around Leslie from behind, his hands clasping together on her stomach. He whispered something into Leslie's ear, and she giggled deliciously. It made Ben want to throw up.

"Sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Mark." He let go of Leslie and smiled goofily at the three of them.

Leslie looked at Mark as if he were a God, or Joe Biden, before, "Oh, babe, this is April, Andy and... Ben."

Ben noticed that she looked at April and Andy as she spoke their names, but not him. He was watching her, quite obviously looking at her, and she was doing everything in her power to avoid his gaze. She looked uncomfortable.

"It's nice to meet you all."

"Yeah, you too, dude." Andy smiled at Mark.

Ben wanted to be anywhere but here. "Sorry, are you - Leslie's...?" Words weren't really working.

"Boyfriend, yeah." Mark shot Ben a smile, but it was barely masking an odd, assessing look.

"Oh, cool."

It was then that Leslie finally met his eyes, and there was some sort of apology there. She smiled at him, but it was small. "Well, thank you so much for coming." 

"Yeah, it was a great show. Thanks for the tickets, Leslie." Ben cleared his throat. "Well, it was lovely to meet you, Mark."

They all said their goodbyes and the three of them started to leave. Ben shot one last look back at Leslie, who was caught up in a story Mark was telling the group. The way she was looking at him made it feel like the entire floor was falling out from underneath Ben.

April and Andy were pretty quiet on the walk home, picking up on Ben's vibe. They'd just arrived back on campus when someone finally spoke.

It was Andy, "So, I guess you didn't know she had a boyfriend, huh?"

Ben finally looked at them. Andy's arm was draped around April, and they were both looking at him expectantly. "No, she hadn't mentioned it." God, even he could hear how pathetic he sounded.

"We'll go to my dorm to have sex tonight."

"Gee, thanks." Ben exhaled, but truthfully that was the nicest thing April had said to him the entire time they'd known each other.

Before they left, Andy pulled Ben into a big bear hug, which only made him feel worse. He walked the rest of the way to his room by himself, repeating three words over and over in his head:

_I'm an idiot._


	4. Chapter 4

For the first time since the beginning of the semester, Ben really wasn’t looking forward to his politics class. He’d been moody ever since Friday, and angry at himself for thinking that there was some sort of spark between him and Leslie. And now he had to see her, knowing she had a boyfriend. It sucked. 

Leslie wasn’t sitting in her usual spot at the front today, though. She was at the back, her bag perched on his seat, saving it for him. She noticed him out of the corner of her eye and shifted it to the floor, and he sat down. She smiled at him.  

Before either one of them could say anything, the lecturer started talking and they both got caught up in scribbling down notes. Ben couldn’t help but notice how much lighter he felt sitting here next to Leslie. It was as if he hadn’t just spent his whole weekend moping.  

Half way through the lesson, Leslie turned her head towards Ben slightly, her pen still moving across her paper.  

“I’m sorry about – I didn’t think you’d come backstage. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you about Mark. I should have.” She whispered. “I’m really sorry.” 

Ben took a moment to digest that. His heart picked up a little bit – was she implying that she didn’t want him to know she had a boyfriend? Why? Either way, it didn’t matter. She did have one, and he had to respect that.  

“That’s okay.” He whispered back.  

They didn’t speak for the rest of the lecture, just silently sat next to each other, writing. When it was over, she lightly punched his shoulder in a painfully platonic way and said, “See you later.” 

“Yeah.” It was all he could manage to say. 

 

* * *

 

Andy and Ben were sitting on their beds - Ben reading through a textbook and Andy playing PlayStation. 

“Well, do you think that she’s a cool person?” 

Ben looked at Andy, “Yeah.” 

“And you want her in your life?” 

“Yeah, of course.” 

“Then you’ve got to try and let go of your feelings. Just be a good friend to her, dude.” 

Ben considered that for a moment – Andy was right. It wasn’t Leslie’s problem that he had feelings for her. He was the one that had misread her kindness as romantic interest. This was on him, and he wanted her in his life so desperately. He could be her friend. He really could. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Andy.” 

“No worries, but, hey, April’s gonna be arriving any minute and we haven’t had sex in, like, 26 hours... so you’re probably going to want to get out of here.” 

Great. Ben grabbed his phone and opened up a new message to Leslie.  

 _‘Your_ _p_ _olitics_ _pal is in need of a study date. Or just somewhere safe to hide until Andy and April stop boning.’_  

She replied pretty quickly, ‘ _Save yourself, come quick. But bring Red Vines.’_  

Ben was just leaving, his bag heavy with textbooks, as April walked in the door. He waved at them both and then headed to the store to grab Red Vines on the way to Leslie's.

 

* * *

 

“I thought I said Red Vines?” Leslie was staring down at the packet of Twizzlers he’d just placed in her hands, looking genuinely disgusted. Her nose was scrunched up and it was adorable, but he was trying not to think about that. 

“I got both. I’m more of a Twizzlers guy.” He put the Red Vines on top of the Twizzlers in her hands. 

“Oh no, Ben. It’s been a nice run but I don’t think I can be friends with you anymore.”  

“Dammit, that’s the deal-breaker?” 

“I’m afraid so.” She couldn’t keep the bit going any longer because she was smiling up at him, enjoying their easy banter. 

Leslie offered Ben her desk, while she set up her notes on her bed. Once they were settled, Ben looked over at Leslie. 

“Hey, I’m sorry if I was weird the other night – with Mark. I was just taken off-guard, that’s all. He seems like a lovely guy.” 

“Yeah, he’s sweet.” She didn’t look up from her textbook, and she left it at that.  

Ben turned back to his notes, and they worked in silence for a while. Unlike their first lunch together, this silence felt a little uncomfortable. He shouldn’t have brought Mark up.  

“Do you mind if I put some music on?” 

“Sure.” Ben smiled at her.  

She got up off the bed and fumbled around with a stack of CD’s, and soon the room was filled with the Spice Girls. Ben's hand, which had been furiously writing, paused. He looked over at Leslie who had settled back in to her spot on the bed, absentmindedly eating a Red Vine as she skimmed paragraphs.  

“Uh, Leslie?” 

She looked up at him, “Yeah?” 

The familiar lyrics to ‘Wannabe’ rang out around them. He raised his eyebrows at her. 

“This is what you listen to when you study?” He couldn’t help the incredulous smile on his face. 

“Yeah, why?” She seemed just as shocked by his questioning.  

Ben laughed, shaking his head, “Oh, nothing.”  

He turned back to his paper, but there was no chance he was going to get any work done.  

“You know, I had such a crush on Scary Spice when I was growing up.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Leslie giggled.  

“Yeah, my little sister would listen to their songs on repeat. I swear these lyrics are burned into my brain.” He smiled giddily – they'd both abandoned their studying and were facing each other. Jokingly, he sang along, “So here’s a story from A to Z, you wanna get with me, you gotta listen carefully -” 

Leslie stood up, grabbing one of her markers as a microphone, “We got Em in the place who likes it in your face.” 

Ben grabbed one of his own markers, but stayed in his seat. “You got G like MC who like it on a, Easy V doesn’t come for free, she’s a real lady -” 

“And as for me, ha you’ll see!” 

They couldn’t stop laughing, and Ben decided this was one of his favourite Leslie’s he’d met so far – carefree using-a-marker-as-a-microphone Leslie. Every version of Leslie was his favourite, to be fair. When the song finally stopped, and so had their giggling, Ben looked at Leslie. 

“Gosh, I feel drunk. Are we drunk?” 

“I’m not sure, but it feels like it.” She sighed – one of those big, happy ones you do when you’re coming down from having a lot of fun. She moved her notes from the bed and sat down on it as a slower song started playing on her mixtape, her back against the wall and her legs lying out in front of her.  

Ben joined her on the bed. 

“Why did you want to get away from your parents so badly?” Her voice was smaller, and softer, now.  

They hadn’t talked about this since that first lunch, so it took Ben a moment to catch up. “Oh, uh...” He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She was looking at him, earnestly, like she really cared. Of course she cared; she was Leslie Knope. That was kinda her thing. “They don’t really get on. I mean, they got divorced a long time ago, but they still see each other all the time because of me and my siblings. And it was just one long string of important events being ruined and awkward birthday dinners.” 

“That must be tough.” 

“Yeah, just a lot of... I don’t know, negative energy. It’s exhausting.” Ben waited a beat, “What about your parents?” 

Leslie’s words were a little heavy, “My dad passed away when I was ten, so it’s just me and my mom. She can be a little... with-holding, sometimes, but she’s an amazing woman.” 

“I’m really sorry about your dad.” 

Leslie dropped her head, but she smiled.  “Thanks.” 

Ben wanted to reach out and grab her hand, rub his thumb in circles on her palm until the heaviness lifted again. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and hold her, kiss the top of her head. But he was just her friend. So, instead –  

“I dare you to try a Twizzler.” 

Leslie turned her nose up and shook her head. “No way.” 

“Come on, if you try a Twizzler, I’ll try a Red Vine. See if either of us switch teams.” 

So they did, but neither of them switched teams.  

“You’re just being stubborn!” Leslie laughed, throwing a Red Vine at him.  

“I could say the same about you, Ms. Knope.”  

Their eyes fell to the piles of books and notes that were surrounding them, discarded.  

“We haven’t done a very good job of studying, have we?” 

“No.” Leslie giggled. “Hey, you wanna just get really drunk instead? Like, actually drunk and not Spice Girls drunk.” 

Ben took her in: she meant it. There was a certain sparkle in her eyes that he hadn’t met yet.  

“Sure.” 

She shimmied off the bed and started rummaging underneath it. She pulled out an almost-full bottle of vodka and showed it off to Ben, laughing when he raised his eyebrows. She handed it to him. 

“Straight out of the bottle?” 

“Straight out of the bottle.” She nodded.

 

* * *

 

Ben had been drunk before. He hadn’t, however, ever felt this alive whilst drunk before.  

He had a tendency to drink beer which made him happy for a little bit, and then mostly just sluggish. This was different. This was on-fire, burning-through-the-earth, vodka-drunk with Leslie Knope. They were still in her dorm room – her roommate, Donna, had briefly wandered in and then immediately left after seeing the giggling state they were in.  

“Oh, no. I hope she’s not mad at me.” Leslie had murmured, a moment of sincerity amidst their silly laughter.  

Ben was lying flat on his back on the floor, his arms spread wide. “I’m sure she’s fine.” Ben sat up and looked at Leslie, who was sitting on the floor near him, the vodka beside her considerably emptier than it was when she first pulled it from under her bed. “Let’s play a game.” 

Her eyes – light and happy and eager – met his, and he felt his chest rise. She was beaming, shining. “Okay.” 

He squinted at her, trying really hard to concentrate. “For every secret we admit, the other has to take a shot.” 

Leslie chewed the corner of her mouth, weighing up his suggestion. She seemed to make her decision. “Alright, you’re on, Wyatt.” She placed the bottle of vodka in the middle of them and stared at him with far more competitiveness than he was expecting. Actually – who was he kidding? This was Leslie Knope. Of course she was going to give it her all.  

“When I was ten, I stole Batman pajamas from Walmart.” 

Leslie’s expression fell into a soft, mocking smile – she picked up the vodka bottle and took a swig.  

“Are you ready for mine?” She said, faux seriously. 

“I’m ready.” He was somewhat aware of the goofy expression on his face right now, but he couldn’t wipe it. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling and Ben wondered if maybe they were the only two people left on earth. 

“I haven’t told anyone this before.” She took a deep breath, and Ben could tell she was really playing it up. “But... I got a B+ on a third-grade math quiz.”  

She let her words hang in the air and looked at him expectantly.  

He starting laughing, and it tumbled out of him. It was in his chest and elbows and fingertips – the laughter was. Hers was, too.   

“What?” She was marveling at his outburst and laughing with him. 

“That might possibly be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Your big secret is that you once got a B+ on a test in the  _third-grade_?” 

“It’s embarrassing!” She maintained. And then she handed him the bottle, “Drink up.” 

He threw his head back and felt the vodka burn his throat. It wasn’t as bad at the first sip had been, though. They went back and forth, back and forth – admitting silly things and laughing.  

It was back to Leslie again. She went a little quiet, and her voice was soft when she spoke. “I’m scared that I’m never going to amount to anything once I’m out in the real world.” 

Ben didn’t know what to say. He really wished he was the kind of person who knew what to say all the time. But he wasn’t, so a silence weaved itself between them for a little while.  

“I think...” Ben started to say, his speech a little slowed from the alcohol, “that this game and this vodka is starting to make us kind of sad.” 

“Yeah.” Leslie said.  

Ben stood up, grabbed the vodka bottle and placed it on her bedside table. Neither of them needed any more, that was for sure. The thought of tomorrow’s hangover entered Ben’s mind. He tried to ignore it.  

“Stand up.” He put out his hands, and hers slipped into his so effortlessly. He also tried to ignore that. “You need to get out of your head. Let’s do some improv.” 

“What?” She looked at him curiously, her heart lifting just a little.  

Ben shrugged, “Yeah, come on. I’m drunk enough to not care if I look like an idiot. Run me through the rules.” 

So she did – she dropped her hands from his and became animated as she explained the ins and outs of improv, but in a very quick, hard-to-follow way. It also didn’t help that his eyes were starting to feel a little glassy, and it smudged the edges of Leslie – like a water-colour painting.  

“Got it?” 

Ben nodded. He definitely didn’t have it. But who cared? Leslie was bounding up to him, slightly unsteady on her feet, and smiling.  

“Quick, we have to get out of here before this whole place blows!” She mimed putting a backpack on, obviously fighting the urge to laugh at their ridiculousness. 

“Of course, Madame President.” Leslie’s eyes lit up at his words, “but I don’t have time to bring all of these, uh, top secret files with me.” He motioned at the imaginary files.  

“Ah, raising the stakes. I’m impressed.” Leslie said.  

“The codes, President Knope?” Ben raised his eyebrows at her, challenging her to stay in the scene.  

She puffed out her chest, taking his bait. “I know you’re just an _intern_ , Mr. Wyatt, but you’ve got to get me AND the codes out of here in 45 seconds.”  

Ben didn’t necessarily make the conscious decision to grab her hand and run, but suddenly he did, and they were, until Ben tripped over his own foot. They collapsed in the hallway, laughing uncontrollably.  

“Did we make it?” Leslie breathed, joking. A couple walked past them lying on the floor and shot them an odd look. 

“I think we did.” 

“And the files?” 

“You’re more important than the files.” 

They were still kind-of giggling, but Ben’s words soothed them into a soft silence. Leslie was looking at him with a particular look on her face – it was kind, but also a little sad. Maybe she could tell that by ‘files’, he meant everything.  

“An intern, really?” 

Leslie laughed, “Just making sure you know your place.” She paused, dropping her head. “I’m so drunk.” 

“Maybe we should get you some water.” Ben noticed the buzzing that was in his own head. “Maybe we should get me some, too.” 

Leslie pulled them up and got them a bottle of water from the vending machine. They couldn’t stop giggling as they walked back to Leslie’s room, passing the water back and forth. 

“Maybe you should come and perform for Soup Roulette one week.” Leslie teased.  

Ben ran his fingers through his hair, “I think I’ll leave that to the professionals.” He nudged her with his elbow and he caught the small smile that found its way to her lips at his words. 

They arrived at her room. The running and the falling down and the water had sobered them both up a bit, and the absolute mess they had made came into focus. There were notes everywhere, some accidentally scrunched-up, and textbooks in fallen-over piles.  

“You’re a shocking study buddy.” 

“I could say the same about you, Ms. Knope.”


	5. Chapter 5

Ben was doing a pretty good job at suppressing his feelings for Leslie, except for when he wasn’t. (Which was all the time).

As much as he tried, he couldn’t help but let his eyes fall on the way her head bobbed when she was writing something really important during one of their study sessions (they’d vowed not to touch alcohol whilst studying again, and all Spice Girls songs were banned). He especially couldn’t help the way his stomach would lift and then flutter back down whenever she’d give up her spot at the front to sit next to him during a lecture. 

“What are you doing this Friday night?” 

Ben looked at Leslie. She was still writing notes, keeping pace with their professor’s words while waiting for his answer. His own notes were sitting in front of him, abandoned.  

“Nothing, why? Are you performing?” 

She shook her head, “I’m throwing a party for my best friend, Ann Perkins. It’s her birthday, you should come.” Leslie paused, and then added, “Oh, and Andy and April are coming. Turns out April is in one of Tom’s classes and they’re friends now. Small world, huh?” 

“Yeah, small world.” Ben agreed. “Do I need to get Ann a present? I’ve never met her before.” 

Leslie shook her head, “No, don’t be silly.” 

“Okay, cool. Sounds fun.” 

 

* * *

 

Ben was walking to Ann’s party with Andy and April. 

“I didn’t know you were big into parties?” Ben asked April. 

April looked at him coolly, “Tom told me that Leslie goes all out with these kinds of things, and I wanted to be there if anything goes wrong.” She shrugged, showing that she wasn’t going to elaborate. 

“I’m so excited.” Andy said, and he genuinely sounded it. “I’m sure nothing will go wrong, babe.” 

Ben wondered what it must be like to be Andy – so excited for everything, so willing to do anything, always happy to be invited. Ben wished he could be a little bit more like that, instead of panicking about how he barely knew anyone at this party. He was only going for Leslie, but he also knew Mark would probably be there.  

Leslie had said that the party was being held in her dorm room, which had seemed a little odd at the time. Surely only ten people could fit in her room. When the three of them arrived on her floor, Ben realised how she’d managed to get around that problem. Every single room on her entire floor had their door open, and each one had a different theme.  

As they walked down the hallway, Ben popped his head in each room to see – there was a Kelly Clarkson room, a 60s-themed room complete with a duke box, a Harry Potter room where two guys were fighting with broomsticks and fake wands, and a James Bond room where someone in a tux was serving martini’s. It was never-ending. Ben had no idea how Leslie had managed to come up with so many different themes. 

April and Andy had slipped into the James Bond room, but Ben kept going. He finally found Leslie in what seemed to be simply a yellow-themed room. It felt appropriate to see Leslie there – surrounded by brightness. She spotted him in the doorway and her face lit up.  

“Ben!” She yelled. She was already a few drinks in, apparently.  

She ran over and grabbed him, pulling him into the room. 

“You have to meet Ann.” She breathed, out of breath from all of the dancing. 

A tall girl with bangs turned around as Leslie tugged on her arm. She was breathtakingly beautiful and she smiled at Leslie, and then Ben. 

“Ann, this is Ben. Ben, this is sweet, perfect, beautiful Ann Perkins.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Ben smiled, and he pulled out the box of chocolates he had in his jacket pocket. “I’m sorry it’s not much, but happy birthday!”  

“Thanks, that’s so sweet!” Ann beamed at him, and Ben completely understood why Leslie always talked about Ann as if she was the sun.  

A girl walked up to Ann and whispered something in her ear, and Ann giggled. She told them someone was waiting to see her in the Jurassic Park room and squeezed Leslie’s hand before she left. 

“That’s Ann’s girlfriend.” Leslie beamed at Ann as she weaved her way out of the busy room. Leslie turned back to Ben, “I think she’s enjoying her party.” 

“Are you kidding? Leslie, this is incredible. She’s definitely enjoying it.”  

“That was sweet of you to buy her a present.” 

“I didn’t want to turn up empty-handed. How did you do all of this?” 

Leslie looked around and smiled, “I don’t know! I kept thinking of different themes and I couldn’t pick just one, so I did them all!” 

“How did you get everyone on your floor on-board?” He asked. 

“Bribery goes a long way, Wyatt.” 

The song changed and suddenly Leslie lit up.  

“I love this song! Come on, we have to go and dance.” 

She grabbed his hand but he stopped her before she could drag him to the dancefloor. 

“Oh, yeah, no, I’m more of a stand-in-the-corner and bob my head kinda-guy at parties.” 

“Boooo, that’s no fun.” Leslie’s eyes flickered as she teased him.  

He was honestly just about to say screw it and dance with her when a hand – Mark's hand – reached out and grabbed her. She threw a happy, apologetic look over her shoulder at Ben, so he nodded and did that awkward thing where he raised his beer slightly in acknowledgement. 

Ben started to bob his head to the music, looking around the room for anyone he recognised. There was no one, so he wandered around until he found some more beer. Once he was a few beers down, he started to loosen up and even started chatting to a few people. He met Donna properly, and talked to Tom all about the business he wants to start as soon as he graduates. He bumped back into April and Andy, who were considerably more drunk than when he’d last seen them. He even met a cute girl called Shauna who worked on the college paper with Leslie. Ben didn’t even know that Leslie wrote for the paper, but it didn’t surprise him. 

It was quite late when he saw Leslie again. He found himself in a 90s-themed room, and a large group of people wandered in. Leslie was part of the group, but she didn’t notice Ben in the corner. Mark was there too, and Ben couldn’t help but watch the two of them interact. Mark seemed to ignore Leslie for the most part – laughing loudly with his buddies, occasionally putting his arm around Leslie but making no effort beyond that. Leslie’s cheeks were flushed and he could tell she was drunk by the way she swayed on the spot. Mark lent down and started yelling in Leslie’s ear, trying to be heard over the music. Ben strained to hear what he said, and he just managed to catch him saying they were leaving. Leslie looked devastated and it seemed like she was trying to convince him to stay. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and then the whole group followed Mark out. 

Ben was just about to step in to see if she was okay when Ann and Ann’s girlfriend appeared in the doorway. Ann clocked her best friend standing alone, hugged her and started saying something to her that looked comforting. Leslie was nodding, and then Ann’s girlfriend grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.  

Ann made her way over to Ben. He hadn’t realised that she’d seen him, but she must of because she made a beeline for his spot in the corner. 

“Hey Ben, are you having a good time?” 

Ben shifted his weight onto his other foot and smiled at her, “Yeah definitely. Is Leslie okay?” 

“Yeah, she’s fine. Just Mark.” Ben could have sworn he heard her scoff, just a little bit. 

“What did he do?” He couldn’t help himself. 

Ann narrowed her eyes at him, “Oh, it’s nothing major. She’s okay.” 

“Okay, cool.” Ben tried to sound casual. 

“Leslie’s told me a lot about you. It sounds like you’re a really good friend to her.” 

Ann was smiling at him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an undertone to her words, “I try to be.” 

“Well, thanks. It’s nice to know someone else is looking out for her.” 

“It’s amazing that she managed to pull this off. It’s incredible, what she’s done for you.”  

“When Leslie loves you, she really shows it.” Ann smiled, but just to herself. “Anyway, I better keep mingling but it really has been great meeting you. Putting a face to the name, and all that. Have a good night.”  

Ann rested her hand on his shoulder for a second, before making her way out of the room.  

Ben looked around and saw that the room had emptied out quite a lot, and decided it was probably time he head home anyway. He bumped into April and Andy but they weren’t ready to leave yet, and he tried to find Leslie to say goodbye but there were so many people milling around, that finding her seemed impossible.  

He was walking down the front steps of her building when he heard some people giggling. He turned his head and saw Mark with a tall brunette, nestled into a corner of the building they probably thought no one could see. He wasn’t just ‘with’ her – he had her pushed up against a wall and was kissing her neck. She was working on his belt. When he kissed her lips, Ben quickly looked away, wishing he hadn’t seen anything. Fuck.  

For a moment he was frozen – should he run back inside and try to find Leslie again? Show her what was going on just outside her dorm? The selfish part of him wanted to, because then she’d probably break up with him. Something stopped him from doing that, though, and instead he put his head down and walked with a quick pace all the way to his bed. 


	6. Chapter 6

When Ben walked in to their Monday politics lecture, Leslie was already sitting up front. He made his way up to her and sat down. When she realised it was him, she smiled and said hello. 

“I thought I’d see what it’s like from up here.” 

“Best view in the house.” She was still smiling, but Ben noticed that she seemed a little off-beat. She wasn’t shining as bright as she usually did. 

“Everything okay?” He asked, doing his best to sound casual. 

“Just the post-party-blues.”  

The lecture was long and seemed to drag on forever, but Ben did notice that he focused a lot more up front. Maybe Leslie was right – best seat in the house. At the end, as everyone hurried to pack their books away, Ben turned to Leslie. 

“What are you doing right now?”  

“Right now?” She looked at him quizzically, “I don’t have any classes until 4, so I was just going to go to the library and get a head start on my history paper.” 

“You wanna get out of here?” 

“And go where?” 

“Do you trust me?” 

“I guess so.” Her eyes were bright and nervous.  

They walked side-by-side, their pace brisk, as Ben led the way to the cinema. When they arrived, Leslie’s whole face lit up.  

“What are we seeing?”  

“The second Miss Congeniality film just came out. I thought maybe you’d want to see that – unless you haven’t seen the first.” 

Leslie looked at him mockingly, “Is that even a question?” 

“I had a feeling you were a Sandra Bullock kind-of girl.” He smiled at her. 

Ben grabbed them both tickets, and then also paid for the large bag of pick-n-mix candy that Leslie wanted. She also ordered a large hot chocolate with extra whipped cream because the cinema also had a cafe. He questioned whether or not she should have that much sugar, but she told him to stop talking or else she wouldn’t share.  

It was midday on a Monday, so there weren’t too many other people in the theatre – just a few couples dotted around the room. They settled into their seats and shared the candy while the adverts played.  

“Thanks for bringing me here. I think I needed this.” She whispered just before the opening credits started.  

“You’re welcome.”  

The movie started and it was then that Ben realised  _he_ hadn’t seen the first one. He seemed to be following along okay, though, and he was actually really enjoying it – especially when he could feel Leslie laughing beside him.  

They were well into the movie when he looked over and noticed that Leslie had some whipped cream on her lips. He smiled – remembering the first time they’d hung out. He reached out his hand and wiped it with his thumb. It took all of his self-restraint to not let it linger. She smiled and whispers thanks. He felt her shift beside him, and suddenly she was leaning into him. He responded naturally, lifting his arm around her as she nestled into his chest. The seat rest between them was uncomfortable but Ben didn’t dare move. It was so intimate, and he should definitely bring his arm back, but he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was okay because this moment belonged to no one but the darkness and the emptiness of this theatre. 

When the lights came on at the end of the film, they untangled themselves quickly. They didn’t look at each other, and didn’t speak until they were standing outside the cinema, on the sidewalk. 

“Did you like it?” 

“I loved it. Thank you.” 

Ben shrugged, “You seemed a little sad. I just wanted to make you happy.” 

“You did.” And she smiled at him sincerely. She looked out towards the way back home. “Is it okay if I walk back by myself?” 

“Sure. Is everything okay?” He started to worry that he had royally messed everything up. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” 

“I feel like I’ve done something wrong.” 

“Hey, no, you haven’t.” She pulled him in for a hug. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” 

“Sure.” 

“You’re a good friend, Ben.” 

He nodded as she walked away, wishing those five words didn't hurt as much as they did.

 

* * *

 

Things between Ben and Leslie seemed to go back to normal immediately, so Ben didn’t worry for too long that he had overstepped the boundaries. He was very careful not sit too close to her, though. 

On Friday, he took Chris to see Leslie perform. 

“I have literally never been this excited in my life.” Chris had said as they’d filed into the theatre.  

Ben had raised his eyebrows – he was pretty sure he’d heard Chris say that ten times in just the last month.  

“How did you find out about this?” Chris asked. 

“Oh, you remember that girl Claire that you set me up with?” Chris nodded, “We came here for our date, but now I’m actually friends with one of the girls in the cast.” 

“Oh, how delightful.”  

They found two free seats and sat down. The show started and Ben couldn’t help but watch Chris’ glee as the improv played out in front of him. There was something infectious about Chris, and Ben often felt really grateful for his friendship in moments like these – when Ben was sharing something with him and he responded with enthusiasm.  

At the end of the show, Leslie motioned for Ben to come backstage. Ben asked Chris if he wanted to come with.  

“Yes, that sounds like fun!” 

They made their way through the crowd and wandered through the curtain. Leslie hugged him and then hugged Chris too, as Ben introduced them to each other.  

“Leslie Knope, it is such an honour to meet you.” 

“Oh, it’s an honour to meet you too!” Leslie beamed. She turned to Ben, “Did you like it?” 

“You were incredible, as always.” 

Leslie chewed her lip, “Yeah, it wasn’t my best though.” 

Mark walked over just before Ben could convince her that she’d done great.  

“Oh, Ben is back!” He smiled, and stuck out his hand to Chris, “We haven’t met. I’m Mark, Leslie’s boyfriend.” 

Chris shook his hand, “I’m Chris. We were just telling your girlfriend how incredible she was tonight.” 

“Oh, yeah, yeah, she’s great.” He said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Leslie met Ben’s eyes and he wondered if she was also thinking about when it was his arm around her, not Mark’s. God, he was great at torturing himself. 

“Well, anyway, we should probably head off.” 

“Thanks for coming.” Mark said as they turned to leave. 

They’d just left the theatre when Chris said, “Your friend Leslie seems lovely. And her boyfriend was nice, too.” 

“Trust me, he’s not nice.” 

“What do you mean?”  

“I saw him cheating on her after a party the other day.” 

“Have you told her?” 

They were walking along the path back towards campus, and Ben was struggling to keep up with Chris’ pace. “No, I can’t.” 

“You have to.” 

“Chris, can you slow down a little?” 

“Oh, sorry.” Chris slowed down a bit, “I’m just not used to walking slowly. Or walking at all, really. I much prefer to run. Anyway, why can’t you tell her?” 

Ben shoved his hands in his pockets. “I have... feelings for her. And I think she knows that. Sometimes it feels like maybe there’s a... vibe, between us. But then she has a boyfriend – a boyfriend that is cheating on her. I don’t know, if I tell her, it’ll just seem like some desperate attempt to break them up so I can be with her instead.” 

“I see. That is a dilemma.”  

“Yeah.” 

“You’ll figure it out.” 

“Yeah.” He repeated, and then he changed the subject


	7. Chapter 7

Ben knocked on Leslie’s door. 

They’d organised a study date and she’d made cue-cards. 

“Hey, come in!” Leslie had opened the door and then run back to her bed which was covered in notes. “I’m really in the zone.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Ben dumped his stuff on the desk and settled in. They had somewhat gotten into a pattern with these study dates: she worked on her bed, he worked at the desk, they played slow music that neither of them knew so they wouldn’t get distracted, and they always had snacks. Today, they used Leslie’s cue-cards and memorised terms and names and dates until they thought their heads might explode. 

Three hours later, Ben put his hands up in surrender and declared that he was done.

“I can’t do anymore, my head hurts.”

Leslie laughed, “You’re weak, Wyatt.”

Ben’s phone buzzed, but Leslie was closest to it as she was standing by the desk and he had fallen to the floor at about hour 2. 

“Can you check that? It's probably my mom updating me on her book club drama.” 

Leslie glanced down and clicked on the message. “It’s from someone called Claire?” 

Ben sat up, “Oh, just -”

“It says, ‘Hey Ben, I know it’s been a while but I was just wondering if you’d want to grab another drink sometime?’” Leslie looked at him, and raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been hiding dates from me?”

“No, it was before we met, actually.”

“Oh.” Leslie said. “Well, do you want me to reply?”

“No, it’s okay. Our date didn’t go that great, actually, so I probably won’t see her again.”

Leslie nodded and then looked down, unsure of what to say next. 

Ben was exhausted, but he had to lighten the mood. “Hey, Leslie?”

“Hm?” She replied.

“The city’s been taken over by rats and we’re the only ones that can save everyone.”

This had sort of become their thing – playing out little improv scenes whenever they needed a break from studying. They never took it too seriously, lazy-improv if you will. But it never failed to put a smile on their faces. 

She joined him on the floor. “I’m too tired to save the city today, can we do it tomorrow?”

“You’ve got to ‘yes, and’, Knope.”

She narrowed her eyes at him playfully, “I can’t believe you’re out-improving me right now.”

“The student has become the master.” He teased.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s save the city.” She stood up and held out her hands for him. 

She pulled him up and they started giggling at their lethargic attempt at this silly game they play. Ben looked down at Leslie and maybe it was because he was so tired, but he was suddenly acutely aware of how close she was. He could map out the movements he would need to take to kiss her – and it wouldn’t take much. She was looking up at him, and maybe he was crazy – but was she in this moment too? Did she want him to kiss her?

She drew in a sharp intake of breath and took a step back. 

“You should go on that date with Claire.”

It came out as one breath, quickly, as if she didn’t really want to say it. It sounded like the way you take medicine that tastes bad, or a tequila shot – all at once so it’s not as bad.

“Leslie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean -”

“You didn’t mean what? Nothing happened. She seems like a lovely girl.”

Ben narrowed his eyes at her, “You’ve never met her.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure she is. Every ‘Claire’ I’ve ever met has been lovely, and I’ve met all of them.”

“You’ve met every person called Claire?” 

“Yes, Ben, I have.” She was starting to sound frustrated, and he took it as his cue to leave.

“Okay.” He grabbed his things and pulled her door open. He looked back at her, but she was looking down at her socks. He desperately wanted her to look up at him and smile, but she didn’t. She spoke, but her eyes still never met his.

“Ben, I’m sorry. I just think -”

“It’s okay, I get it. Loud and clear.” 

Friendships weren’t supposed to be this...  _angsty._  So, he decided that from now on, theirs wouldn’t be. 


	8. Chapter 8

The next few weeks passed by like normal. Well, somewhat. He only saw Leslie at class. At first, she spoke to him as if nothing had changed. But something had shifted for Ben that night. It was as if someone had shone a torch on how stupid he was being, thinking that he could just be Leslie’s friend. She eventually caught on to his soft sighs, the lack of spark in his eyes when they talked, the way he stiffened when she sat next to him. After a couple of weeks, she stopped trying, and instead just sent him sad smiles whenever they made eye-contact.  

Ben told himself this was better. He was also miserable.  

It was a particularly glum Saturday night when she called, in tears. Ben had fallen asleep mid-studying, slumped over his desk in his room – April and Andy weren’t there, for once – when his Nokia buzzed against his ear. 

“Hello?” Ben blinked, trying to orientate himself.  

“Ben.” It was a whisper, followed by a sharp breath.  

Ben got up, just kind of hovering above his seat, knees bent, not entirely sure what to do. “Leslie, are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” She paused. “No, no I’m not. Can you come over?” 

“Of course.” 

He grabbed his jacket and basically ran, arriving at her dorm in record time. A couple of girls were just walking in, so he grabbed the door before it shut and snaked around the hallway until he was outside her door. He knocked lightly, only just now realising how fast his heart was beating. 

She pulled open the door, her hair tucked behind her ear and her face tired from crying. She barely acknowledged him, just let him in and then reclaimed her spot on the floor, up against her bed. She pulled her knees to her chest and whispered, “Thank you for coming.” 

She wasn’t crying right then, but she looked like she could very easily start again. Ben selfishly wondered if maybe Mark had broken up with her.  

“What happened?” He dodged a pile of binders and study notes to join her on the floor, leaving a safe enough distance between them. He’d gotten good at that.  

She finally looked at him, a deep sadness in her eyes that seemed to soak all the way through to her heart. “Today’s the anniversary of my dad passing. I know it’s been forever since it happened, but -” Her voice hitched and she stopped herself. 

“Oh, Leslie. Of course it still hurts.”  

She nodded, a couple of tears started to fall. She wiped at them almost angrily, “I’m sorry I made you come, you were probably studying, huh?”  

“Kind of, but this is more important.” She was always more important.  

“I tried to call Mark but he didn’t pick up.”  

Ben let that sentence just hang in the air, having no idea what to say. He wanted to tell her that Mark should be here, that it’s his job to be here for her, that she deserves better, but that would just make things worse. Instead, he lets his knees drop, his legs now stretching out in front of him. 

“The day before my dad died, he promised me we’d make a treehouse together over the summer. We were going to visit the Grand Canyon together, too. It’s just... so unfair. There’s so much we didn’t get to do.”  

Fresh tears start or maybe they never really stopped, but they’re more intense now. Ben can hear the pain in her chest as she breathes. He can’t stand it – he has no idea what to say, what to do, and she was falling to pieces next to him. He watched her drop her head as she wrapped her arms around her legs even tighter.  

Distance be damned. 

He shuffled, closing the gap between them, and wound his arm around her back. She responded – turned her body towards him, her left cheek disappearing into his chest, her legs falling loosely on his own. It felt perhaps too intimate, but he just wanted to comfort her, and she was letting him. They stayed there, connected on her floor. She cried, and sometimes he’d bring his thumb up to her cheek and wipe her tears away softly.  

Ben broke the silence after a while, “Is there anything I can do?” 

“Just this.” She breathed back. 

He rubbed her back until she eventually stopped crying. Even then, they stayed there on the floor. Neither one moved, even though their backs ached and Leslie’s head was throbbing.  

All of a sudden, the door swung open. Ben mustn’t have shut it properly before, and it made a loud noise as it banged against Leslie’s desk. Mark walked in, clearly drunk. Ben and Leslie had jumped apart at the sound of the door, but Mark had caught it. His eyes darkened. 

“What the fuck is this?” His words were slurred and angry. 

“Nothing!” Ben threw his hands up and took another step away from Leslie.  

All Leslie says is, “Mark.”  

Ben looked at her. Her voice was riddled with defeat and disappointment and guilt.  

Mark slammed the door shut, and it echoed throughout the room, in their bones. “I knew something was going on between the two of you. Do you think I’m an idiot?” 

He was basically shouting, and Ben wasn't sure who he was addressing.   

“I promise you, nothing is happening, Mark. Nothing happened.”  

“Then why were you all over each other on the floor?” He was standing so close to Ben now that he could smell the whiskey on his breath, and he was towering over him. 

“Mark, stop.” But she was too tired and sad for it to really take hold, to make an impact. 

“I was just trying to comfort her, dude. She’s having a hard day.” Ben tried to keep his voice calm and steady.  

“That’s my job.” Mark basically spat. “ _I’m_ supposed to look after her when she’s sad.” 

Ben tried to not say it, he really did. “Well then maybe you should have been here doing that, instead of going out and getting drunk.” 

There was a brief moment where Mark looked like he might punch Ben, but it faded and instead he just grabbed his collar, roughly. “What did you just say?” 

“Mark, stop it. Leave him alone.” Leslie was pulling on Mark’s arm, looking so impossibly broken that Ben thought his heart might actually be shattering. She managed to get him to drop his hand from Ben’s shirt. “You’re just drunk.” 

Mark turned his attention to Leslie. The smell of alcohol was seeping out of him so aggressively and his words were slurred. “You know, this whole time we’ve been together, people keep asking me what I’m doing with a girl like you. So I tell them that you’re an okay fuck and you proof-read my papers for me, but God, Leslie. You are truly unbearable.” He was basically snarling, and now Ben was the one who might be punching someone tonight. “I know what I saw Leslie, you’re a fucking cheat.” He laughed, but in an arrogant way, and ran his fingers through his hair.  

Leslie stood her ground opposite him, shaking her head. And then, quietly, “Get out.”  

Mark scoffed, “Gladly.” He shot Ben one last unsettling look, before leaving, the air inside of the room now tight and suffocating.  

They don’t say anything for a while; they just stand apart from each other, breathing.  

“I can’t believe  _he_ called  _you_ a cheat.” The words had left him before he realised what he'd said. They were somewhat under his breath but she still heard them. 

Her eyes snapped to him, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Fuck. If there was any way to make this worse,  _this_ _wa_ _s it._  

 _“_ Nothing, never mind.” 

“No, what does that mean?” She was starting to get angry, and her forehead was pulled together in a way that meant she wouldn't let this go. 

“Just...” Ben sighed, frustrated with himself, “I saw him cheating on you once.” 

Leslie blinked, but she had no more tears to cry tonight. “What?” 

“It was at Ann’s birthday party. I don’t know who she was, but it was definitely him.”  

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Ben moved towards her, desperate to make this all go away, but the warning look on her face stopped him from taking any more than one step closer. “I knew that you knew I had feelings for you. I thought if I told you, it would just seem like I was trying to break you two up. I’m sorry, I should have said something.” 

Leslie’s face doesn’t change, “I didn’t know you had feelings for me.” 

“Leslie.” Is all he said, because they both knew she was lying. 

“I think you should go, I have an assignment I need to finish.” She dropped her head. 

“Leslie.” He repeated, begging her to look him in the eye. “I’m not leaving.” 

She sighed, too tired for any more. “Ben, get out.” 

So he did. 

 

* * *

 

The walk back to his dorm was not fun. Ben kept running it all through his head, over and over. He shouldn’t have said anything. Sure, Mark had been an absolute jackass, but what he did wasn’t much better. There were a thousand different situations that would have been a more appropriate time for him to reveal that her boyfriend was cheating on her. He cursed under his breath over and over.  

All he could think about was Leslie crying about her dad and now also Mark. Suddenly, he remembered that he had Ann’s number programmed into his phone. Leslie had entered it once when she’d needed to call Ann but her phone had died. Ann picked up on the third ring. 

“Hello?” She sounded a little bothered. 

“Hey, Ann. It’s, uh, Ben Wyatt, here.” 

“Oh, hi.” She sounded even more bothered, but maybe that was just in his head. “What do you need?” 

“I was just wondering if you could check on Leslie. I was just round there, and Mark came over and -” 

“Yeah, she just called me. I’m already on my way.” She interrupted him. 

“Oh. Okay, good.” 

“Thanks, though. For calling.” Her voice had softened a little bit, “You’re nice.” 

“I just hope she’s okay.” 

“I’ll make sure she is.” She hung up, and Ben felt a tiny bit better knowing she’d have Ann with her. 


	9. Chapter 9

Ben didn’t hear from Leslie for the next few days, and she missed class on Monday. He’d scanned the rows of students searching for her blonde curls, and came up empty. He spent most of his time almost-calling her, but every time he had her number punched in, he bailed. He figured she needed space.  

Friday was the last day before they had a short break from classes, and Ben couldn’t wait to have a few weeks that wasn’t just devoted to studying. Ben wasn’t expecting to see Leslie at their politics lecture, but she slid in beside him while everyone was chatting and getting their notebooks out.  

“Hey.”  

“Leslie, hey. How are you doing?”  

“I’ve been better.” Ben noticed she wasn’t putting her stuff on the desk in front of her. “I’m sorry I haven’t called. I’ve been super busy with assignments and I’ve been organising this charity run thing, and well anyway – I'm sorry.”  

“That’s okay, I was just worried about you.” 

“Mark and I broke up.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. You were right, he was cheating on me.” 

“He’s an asshole -” 

“Don’t.” Leslie sighed and looked at him. “I’m going home for the holidays. Is it okay if you don’t contact me?”  

Ouch. He felt like he was losing her. Did he ever really have her, anyway? 

“Of course, if that’s what you want.” 

“It is.” She grabbed his hand and held it for a little bit, and then, “Thanks, I’ll see you next semester, okay?”  

“Okay.” He replied, because there wasn’t really anything else he could say. 

Then she got up and headed to the front. Ben didn’t wait to say goodbye to her at the end of class, just grabbed his stuff and left. 

He never thought he’d be this eager to head back to Partridge. 

 

* * *

 

A tiny part of Ben had hoped that Leslie would cave - realise how much she missed him, and call him. Okay, a very large part. Almost all of him. But she didn’t - it was almost the end of the holidays and he hadn’t heard from her once.  

His break had been pretty good for the most part. He got to hang out with Stephanie, his little sister, and he’d only fought with his mother a couple of times. He’d done a bit of studying and caught up with some high school friends, and he even had dinner with his father one night.  

“College is making you more mature.” His mother had said over lunch one day. 

“You think?”  

“Yeah, you seem more centered. More in control.”  

Stephanie and Ben had exchanged a funny look, trying not to laugh, and Ben just nodded in agreement. Stephanie had noticed that Ben seemed a little off, and one day while they were watching ‘Wayne’s World’ she’d looked him straight in the eye. 

“What’s wrong with you?” 

“Huh?” 

“You seem kind of sad a lot of the time.” 

Ben had thrown a pillow at her, “I’m fine.” 

“Is it because of a girl?” 

He looked at her, and she was serious. “Yeah.” 

“What happened?” 

Ben sighed – he knew she wasn’t going to stop prying. “There’s a girl I like, but she has a boyfriend. Or,  _had_  a boyfriend. It’s complicated.”  

“Oh, that sucks.” 

“Yeah.” 

Then they both returned to the screen, but Ben actually felt a little better speaking it out loud.  

By the time the break was coming to an end, he was ready to get back to campus. He missed Leslie the most, but he also missed Andy’s bear hugs, and the way April’s eyes sometimes softened when she could tell Ben was in a bad mood. He even missed Chris yelling his full name across the quad.  

There was a quiet buzz on campus when he got back as everyone chatted about what they had been doing over the break. Ben pushed through the door to his floor in his dorm building, and he immediately saw her. 

Leslie was sitting on the carpet, just left of his door. He hadn’t seen her in three weeks, and the sight of her lit every part of him on fire. She was so beautiful. 

She looked up and noticed him - paused, standing in the hallway with his duffel bag over his shoulder. He had a wonky smile on his face, and she returned it with her own one, almost shyly.  

“Hi.” 

“Hi.” He replied. “How are you?” 

“I’m good.”  

She sounded like she meant it. Ben started walking towards her.   

“I have a question.” 

Ben raised his eyebrows inquisitively, “Mm?” 

Leslie held his eyes, and something about her felt even more bold than usual. A smile played on her lips. “Are you sure it’s appropriate, Mr. President, for us to be making out in the Oval Office?” 

She bit her lip, waiting for him to reply. The world sort of fell away for a second. 

“Ms. Knope, is that a personal fantasy or just an improv bit?” 

She was still holding his gaze, challenging him, showing him that she meant this. “Both.” 

Ben never imagined that the first time he’d kiss Leslie, it would be in a dorm hallway, surrounded by loud college kids. But it was. As soon as the word had left her lips, he’d dropped his duffel on the floor and chased the space between them. She was smiling when his lips first touched hers. It was kind of slow – slower than he thought it would be – but it was also bursting with want. His hands found the small of her back and pulled her closer, and he felt her fingers find his chest. He started to burn even more.  

Some guy made a whooping noise as he walked past the pair, so Ben pulled back, “Perhaps the Oval Office is a little risky, but we could try my own personal office instead?” He motioned towards his dorm room. 

“Lead the way.” 

Ben unlocked his door, hoping that Andy wasn’t back yet. He wasn’t, so Ben stepped aside and let Leslie walk in. It was the first time she’d been to his room, and he watched her look around at his things. He was thankful that he’d tidied up before he’d left last semester. She ended up at his desk and turned around to lean against it, her eyes finding his again.  

“This better?” 

He nodded, making his way over to her. His hands found her waist and he lifted her onto the desk. She giggled and let out a surprised “Ben!” as he did it. She wasn’t used to Ben being able to act on his feelings just yet. 

He looked at her for a moment, then her lips. He kissed her quickly, softly, and she let out a happy, content sigh. He pushed the piece of hair that had fallen back behind her ear and let his forehead lean against hers.  

“Can I say something quickly?” 

“Of course.” He pulled his head back.  

“While I was home, I organised a fundraiser for the Arts committee, and then started on the logistics for the IU Talent Show that’s coming up...” 

“Of course.” He said, knowing that’s not really what she wanted to tell him. 

“But... I also took some time to really think about everything. And, well, Mark is a jerk. Like, a giant jerk.” 

“Yeah.” They both laughed.  

“But, you know, he wasn’t the only one being a jerk. Nothing actually happened between us but... I knew I had feelings for you and I didn’t do anything to stop them. In fact, I encouraged them.” 

Ben tried to ignore the fluttering in his chest at her admission that she'd had feelings for him all along. 

“That doesn’t make you a jerk.”  

“It does. I should have broken up with Mark a long time ago. It would have made everything easier for everyone.” She dropped her head.  

Ben lifted her chin with his fingers, “Hey.”  

“Yeah?” 

“Can I say something now?” 

She nodded, her blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders. 

“You are, very definitely, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. And I’ve seen them all.” 

“You’ve seen every girl in the world?” She giggled. 

“Yeah, all of them. But even more than that – I've never met anyone that works as hard as you do. Everything you do, you make magic. It’s incredible. You’re incredible. Mark never deserved you, and what he said about you that night – it makes my blood boil. You’re magic, and I just wanted you to know that.” 

Leslie pulled on his shirt, and he followed the cue. He would pretty confidently say that kissing Leslie was his favourite thing in the whole entire world. He felt her tongue on his teeth, and her hands found their way into his hair. Now they were both on fire, and Ben shifted his body closer. There was a loud clattering as the notebooks that he’d left on his desk fell to the ground.  

Leslie broke apart from Ben, looking down, breathing hard. “Are those important?” 

“You’re more important than the files.” He said, not even taking a second to look at the fallen notebooks.  

“Impressive call back.” Leslie said, smiling and wrapping her legs around the back of Ben’s. 

“I learnt from the best.”  

And then he kissed her again. And again. And again. 


	10. Chapter 10

For their first date, he’d taken her to a small restaurant and laughed when she’d complained that they didn’t have any decent desserts on the menu. She’d made him drive all the way to Pawnee and they’d had late-night waffles at a place called JJ’s Diner. She’d gotten whipped cream on her top lip and this time he got to kiss it off.

During their third date, Leslie admitted that she had fallen behind in her politics paper because her role on the student government was taking up a lot of her time. They spent the rest of the date sitting in his dorm common room, writing and checking each other’s work and making out on the couch once everyone else had gone to bed. 

After their sixth date, they’d been lying in her bed, tangled in sheets. She was laying across his bare chest, burning patterns into his skin with her fingertips when she’d said, “Are you my boyfriend?” He’d pushed her onto her back, disappeared under the covers, and shown her that yes, he was most definitely her boyfriend.

They’d been officially together for a month when Mark finally quit Soup Roulette. He joined a different group and a weight was lifted inside of Leslie as she told Ben about it over the phone. “You should come see the show this Friday.” She’d said. And he wanted nothing more. 

He had missed the atmosphere of this place. The slightly damp smell, the tipsy twenty-somethings, the anticipation of the laughter that was to come that hung in the air. He’d come by himself this time, and slipped into the last seat of the first row. The show started and he couldn’t help the smile on his face when Leslie ran through the curtain. 

She asked for a word suggestion, and suddenly Ben heard himself yelling with the rest of the audience.

“I heard ‘recreation’ from the  _devastating_ _ly_  handsome man in the front. Thank you, Sir.” Her eyes sparkled and he grinned. “Take it away, Ron.”

The man she’d just gestured to – Ron – took center stage and starting speaking in a deep voice. 

The show was incredible, like always, and he was flooded with pride and happiness every time Leslie got a big laugh. At the end of the show, when everyone was making their way out of the small theatre, Leslie gestured for him to come up on the stage. 

“You were so funny, babe.” He kissed her cheek.

“Thank you.” She beamed up at him. 

“I really liked that bit you did about the canoe.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, and...” He paused, scaring himself with what he was about to say. 

She took a second to consider him, “Yes, and?”

He met her eyes and realised that what he was about to say – well, he meant it. 

“Yes, and I love you.”

Leslie looked a little shocked, “Really?”

“Yeah.” Ben chuckled, nervously. He looked back towards the rows of mix-matched chairs, “I think maybe I fell in love with you the second I saw you on this stage.” He looked back at her, “Sorry, that probably sounds crazy. I don’t know.”

“I love you too, Ben.” She said quickly.

And then they’d kissed, softly – they were in love, after all – on stage with no one watching.


End file.
